


Bleeding in purples

by moondustandink



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura and Lance are Siblings, Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blackmail, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 04:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moondustandink/pseuds/moondustandink
Summary: “Oh, I have another plan in mind actually.” Lotor grinned wolfishly, slim fingers drumming ever so slowly against the control board, the diminutive noise echoing like a clap of thunder inside the cold empty room.“What is it, my Lord?” Haggar felt the need to ask, seeing her son so calm unlike every other evening in times like these throwing her slightly out of balance.“Young love, mother.” The words rolled out of sharp his tongue smoothly, purple eyes drunk with power as he peeked at her over his shoulder to make sure she was paying attention before looking back at the screen before him where the footage he has come so familiar with kept playing like a broken record.“Young Love?” The prince’s mother tilted her head to the side in confusion.“It’s in the air.” He gestured vaguely with one hand in the air, as if what he just said was the most obvious thing in the universe, crossing his mile long legs elegantly as he rested himself against the back of his chair.“Like a disease.” Haggar grimaced venomously, immediately looking away.“Exactly.”





	Bleeding in purples

**Author's Note:**

> i've seen so many posts, fics and fanarts of lotor tortuing/blackmailing lance but not one of lotor tortuing/blackmailing keith so here it goes ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> p.s.: i started writitng this ages ago before any trailer so no badass lady generals :(((

“Voltron is escaping, my Lord.” A soldier informed the prince trying his best to keep a steady voice, not even daring to look at him in the eye over his shoulder as he pretended to busy himself with something else, only making the blood in his veins boil harder.

“How is this possible!?” Lotor spat furiously, pacing up and down the control room with maniac rage while violently running his fingers through his now damp with sweat long silver hair in attempt to get it away from his face, looking from screen to screen desperately trying to understand how team Voltron was getting away, again.

“I want everyone out!” The prince’s angered voice echoed loudly down the metal walls along with the bang of his fists against the board, every single person in the room, regardless of their station, not even thinking twice before immediately disappearing out of his sight.

After long and tortuous hours of forcing himself watch the same security footage over and over again, Lotor only grew more frustrated by each passing second if possible. He was losing the universe’s destiny against children. There was no trick, no secret passage, no glitch on the system.

How did this kept happening?

He was so submerged into figuring out the mystery behind team Voltron’s fortune he didn’t heard the control room’s door slide open, let alone someone coming in. “I’m afraid the enemy and us have something in common, my Lord.” Haggar walked slowly to where the prince was sat, placing a hand on the back of his chair.

“I beg your pardon, mother?” Lotor cautiously straightened himself up in his seat, turning to her, confusion washing over his dainty features when her words sank in.

“You and I might be half blooded,” She sighed tiredly, glowing yellow eyes carefully scanning around the place as if to make sure they were alone before taking hold of her hood and pushing it back, letting it fall and pool around her shoulders, revealing her peculiarly distinctive ears and making the prince unconsciously reach out for his own, fondling them between his slim fingers. “but so is the red paladin.”

“What are you talking about?” He stood up quickly, eagerly looking at his mother for answers.

Stepping closer to the board, Haggar raised a hand in the air abruptly stopping the playing video, zooming in on the frozen frame now displayed in front of them which showed the red paladin, not only crouched on the floor hiding from the guards but also pressing his hand against the handprint panel next to the door, opening it with ease without anyone even noticing it.

“Unbelievable.”

After watching the same video for what he promised himself will be the last time before going to bed, this time paying his entire attention to the red paladin, eyes searching desperately and analyzing meticulously for the tiniest of details that could gave him something, anything, to work with, besides the dangerous lack of self control and that nasty attitude, the prince stood up exhausted on his feet and made his way to the door, following his earlier mother’s footsteps.

The still playing video’s audio behind his back stopping him dead on his tracks.

“Whatever you do,” It was the red paladin’s voice, _Keith_ , he had learned, talking to another member of the team. “please make sure to keep Lance safe.”

A devious smirk creeped its way up Lotor’s face.

“Oh, I’ve got you.”

* * *

 

“Great job, paladins!” Allura chirped excitedly throwing her hands in the air once the team made it to the control room.

“Thank you, sister dearest.” Lance smirked smugly in her direction only to get an eye roll in response, taking off his armor’s helmet and balancing it on his cocked up hip, running his fingers through his tousled and slightly damp silver hair. “I wasn’t really going to say anything but since you brought it up, yes, I think I did a pretty neat job indeed.”

“We all did, your royal pain in the ass.” Pidge kicked him in the shin, snorting loudly when the prince let out a string of what they believed were altean curses, judging by Allura’s eyes going comically wide and Coran gasping scandalously, immediately smacking the back of the boy’s head.

“You’re staring again.” Shiro whispered playfully on Keith’s ear, the younger quick to cover the surprised yelp that left his mouth with his hands, making sure no one else heard him before turning back to him with a death glare, only to find the other grinning knowingly back at him.

“I was not.” Keith murmured despite already feeling warmth inevitably spreading across his face.

“When are you going to tell him?” The black paladin rested himself against the wall, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow in his direction.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Keith shrugged nonchalantly, scratching lazily the back of his neck, messing up his hair in the process. Maybe he did need a haircut after all.

“You, the prince, you know.” Shiro said casually, as if talking about the weather and nothing remotely close to his feelings for Lance. Which, he didn’t had, of course. The younger boy’s mind running hundred miles per hour and heart beating wildly inside his chest at the mere thought of the things the blue paladin had made him feel since day one, since the very moment he graciously fell out of the sleeping pod and into his arms in all his glowing cinnamon skinned and dreamy blue eyed glory. Things he hasn’t felt before. Things he didn’t even know he could feel. Things the altean prince would never feel for him.

“There’s nothing to say, Shiro.” He sighed heavily, lazily kicking the air as he looked down.

Shiro straightened himself up from his spot slouched against the wall at the sudden change of ambient, the trade mark dad talk he, and the rest of the team, had grown used to in so little time dying down on his lips as Hunk interrupted them from all the way across the room.

“Don’t you think so, Keith?” Suddenly, all eyes were on him, and if a specific pair of electric blue ones in the back making him weak at the knees but no one had to know.

“I’m sorry, what?” He cleared his throat in what he hoped sounded a subtle way, failing when he almost coughed up a lung in the process, waiting for an explanation of what the trio were so excitedly chatting about.

“Lance’s aim is getting better.” Hunk beamed at him before throwing an arm around the prince’s skinny shoulders, earning a cocky but still sincere grin from him in response.

He and Lance became best friends almost in the act, just like Keith and Shiro.

“Well, we don’t call him our _sharpshooter_ for nothing.” Keith’s stupid tongue betrayed him before he could stop himself, praying to every god that could hear him right now his voice didn’t sounded as shaky as his own hands felt.

Every intrusive thought of him possibly screwing up slowly fading away when a deep blush covered the altean prince’s dark skin, bright enough for Keith to see even standing several feet away from him before he quickly looked away, subtly hiding himself into Hunk’s embrace who went for a hug without a second thought.

“Who calls him that?” Pidge frowned in the background.

Before the black paladin had the chance to even say something, Keith had his blade of Marmora piercing through the wall and pressing dangerously close to his throat, not even daring to look at him.

“Don’t.”

Shiro just bursted out laughing.

* * *

 “Oh, I have another plan in mind actually.” Lotor grinned wolfishly, slim fingers drumming ever so slowly against the control board, the diminutive noise echoing like a clap of thunder inside the cold empty room.

“What is it, my Lord?” Haggar felt the need to ask, seeing her son so calm unlike every other evening in times like these throwing her slightly out of balance.

“Young love, mother.” The words rolled out of sharp his tongue smoothly, purple eyes drunk with power as he peeked at her over his shoulder to make sure she was paying attention before looking back at the screen before him where the footage he has come so familiar with kept playing like a broken record.

“Young Love?” The prince’s mother tilted her head to the side in confusion.

“It’s in the air.” He gestured vaguely with one hand in the air, as if what he just said was the most obvious thing in the universe, crossing his mile long legs elegantly as he rested himself against the back of his chair.

“Like a disease.” Haggar grimaced venomously, immediately looking away.

Lotor observed thoroughly once again every single strategy the red paladin executed almost effortlessly, every block and attack, not to mention every chance he took to step in and protect the blue paladin, memorized in the back of his head by now. Keith was a powerful fighter, he had to admit, lethal even if you asked him, fast and strong combinations making him the perfect killing machine. Lotor thought he’ll be nothing but entertaining to watch perform at the arena, even more with an incentive such as the beautiful altean prince as the main prize, but if mind games and child’s play was what he has to settle with for now then so it be.

“Exactly.”

* * *

Keith thought the room was quiet, almost too quiet.

“We meet again, red paladin.” Lotor’s low voice suddenly broke through the silence, said paladin’s bayard coming to life in no time, lips inevitably twitching up at the realization that riling him up would might be even easier than what he expected. “Ah, ah, I’m not here to fight.” The prince raised both hands up in self defense before folding them neatly behind his back, as if showing he indeed meant no harm, taking steps in his direction.

“Yeah, right.” Keith growled through gritted teeth, lifting his sword and waiting for him to attack.

“I’m here to talk, actually.” He leaned dangerously close to the paladin, using their significant height difference at his advantage to tower him over.

“Talk about what?” Keith snapped violently, immediately taking steps back.

“I’m so glad you ask.” Lotor gracefully turned around on his heels in attempt to hide any hint of excitement or satisfaction his features might gave away in anticipation, walking in the opposite direction from the boy now, tone laced with mirth and nothing but faux gentleness. “You see, I have this proposal for you.”

“I’m not making any deals with-” The red paladin interrupted abruptly only to be cut off mid sentence in return.

“ _Garlas?_ ” The prince accused sharply, glancing at him over his shoulder to see his reaction before speaking again. “Such a hypocrite opinion coming from such a dirty little mouth like yours.” He shook his head from side to side pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment, smacking his lips together and letting out a heavy breath. “Thought you were better.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Keith yelled back at him, the slight but increasing quiver in his voice echoing all over the dimed lighted room being nothing but music to Lotor’s ears.

“Sure you don’t.” Lotor dismissed him vaguely, adjusting his armor and fixing his hair like it wasn’t much of a big deal. “As I was saying, I was going to ask you to join me, to join the Galra Empire and take over the entire universe together.”

“What makes you think I’d ever want to rule by your side?” Keith asked outraged, sword and shield already down at his sides.

“Please, just look at yourself.” Lotor scoffed giving him a brief once over, clicking his tongue before starting to walk in circles around the red paladin, the closer he got the harder he squirmed under his gaze. Oh, if he wasn’t already enjoy this and it was just the beginning. “You’re no altean, not an earthling either, well, not completely from what I’ve heard, but not galra as well.” The prince counted with his fingers in the air, chuckling carelessly when he still got no answer, as if silently begging for him to continue. Which, of course, you didn’t had to ask twice. “You are no fit for your team.” He made sure to prod at the boy’s chest once he was near enough, accentuating every word with the sound of his nail against the cold metal of the paladin’s armor. Lotor’s triumphant smile only widening when he didn’t made any move with the intention of stepping back, away from the touch. “And you can take for sure everyone else feels the same.”

That seemed to do it for Keith, who immediately raised his bayard once again, the prince quick enough to pull his own sword from behind his back to block the attack. The footage had not only helped him to study the paladin’s fighting technique, but to predict it as well.

“That’s not true!” Keith shouted angrily, pressing his sword harder against his opponent’s, the vein in his neck twitching along with the glint behind his already glassy eyes.

Oh, he could do this all day.

“You’re the enemy.” Lotor chuckled darkly, Keith’s ragged breath fanning his face only encouraging him to keep going. “Your entire team is waiting for you to turn your back on them.” He pushed mercilessly without hesitation or whatsoever. “Why not cut to the chase?” The prince finally striked back, taking advantage of the boy’s trembling knees and evident lack of focus to kick him in right in the gut, tackling him to the ground with little to no effort.

Walking slowly towards the panting mess of a paladin before him, kicking his bayard like he had done with his owner seconds ago away from his reach in the process, just because he could, Lotor looked down at him deadly in the eye.

“Stop pretending you’re a _hero_ , a _soldier_ , a _paladin_.”

“Enough!” Keith roared loudly slamming his fist against the floor, clutching onto his side in pain with his free hand as he tried to get up on his feet, panting breathlessly when he failed miserably, his helmet rolling off his head at the impact.

“They don’t care about you.” The prince said matter of factly, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his chin between his thumb and pointer finger, as if pondering what to say next. “Specially the blue paladin,” He wondered around the room calmly, words falling from his lips with ease. “that exquisite jewelry of altean royalty.” Lotor purred seductively, closing his eyes and biting his lip for dramatic effect. The red paladin immediately baring his teeth at the mere mention of something so sacred to him coming from Lotor’s filthy mouth.

“What was his name again?” Lotor asked out loud tapping lightly his temple, pausing as if actually awaiting any kind of response from the boy. “Lance?” He said lowly, as if testing the name on his tongue, making something flicker inside the very depths of the red paladin’s chest.

“I swear if you ever dare to touch a single hair of his head-” Keith threatened Lotor, resting his weight weakly on his elbows only to be interrupted by the prince pressing his boot right in the middle of his chest, sending him back to the floor and leaving him without any scape.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Lotor quickly shook his head as if the red paladin’s suppositions were the most unimaginable and atrocious thing he had ever heard. “But I bet you’d love to, more than just a silver hair of his royal little head.” The prince smirked mischievously, practically feeling the boy’s breath caught high in his throat underneath him.

From this angle Lotor could see the red paladin crystal clear in all his bare glory, exposed. A halo of tousled raven hair framing his flushed face, the warmth spreading like wildfire across his mildly freckled cheeks contrasting against his glowing pale skin, stormy gray eyes matching quivering bitten raw lips. Clumsy gloved fingers grasping weakly at his feet, jaw and arms clenching underneath his slightly worn out armor with every attempt he made of free himself, tears threatening to join the beads of sweat already dripping down his face every time he failed, giving up little by little.

Keith’s beauty up close was almost ethereal enough for Lotor to consider not ripping his insides apart for a second.

Almost.

Watching in amusement the boy’s eyes snap shut as breathless pants fell from his mouth, the prince lowered his feet to his stomach, just where the kick had taken place moments ago, leaning down and supporting his entire body’s weight on the one squirming hopelessly underneath him, nothing but determined to make the emotional pain as piercing as the physical one.

“You’re no match for altean royalty and you’ll never be.” Lotor whispered hoarsely inches away from his face, making sure he heard, and believed, every single word he was preaching. “Why a monster like you would be anyways?”

Have his lonely and miserable half blooded existence ever had anything remotely close to a chance in the first place?

Memories flew across the red paladin’s already fogged up mind, all and each one of them glowing with the beauty and grace of the altean prince’s presence. Either these were grieving and dark ones as cradling a beaten up to unconsciousness Lance in his arms to a healing pod Keith stayed up all night long looking after or letting him pour his soul out about how homesick he felt over his shoulder at unholy hours of the night away from prying eyes, or small and heartwarming ones such as catching a blushing Lance peeking at him from the other side of the room when he thought Keith wasn’t looking or post battle touches and sometimes even embraces that seemed to linger a little longer than necessary.

Even those of any other nature like accidentally hiding in the same spot when playing hide and seek with the rest of the team to both bond and pass time, breathy giggles mingling and scraped knees bumping as they hopped to not been found by Coran, getting stuck in an elevator together on their way to the pool because of an apparently perfectly timed technical difficulty of the ship, trying their best to not gaze at the other’s half naked body under the dimed security light, piloting their lions to go stargazing when they needed some alone time, the only sound cutting through the silence being the machines’ steady hum of life.

You name it, he remembered like it happened just yesterday.

Has it all been a creation of his own desperate and affection starved imagination this whole time?

Keith suddenly froze under his touch, silent tears rolling down his bruised cheeks as his hands dropped dead to his sides.

Smirking with victory practically already in his hands,  surprised yet pleased he even made it this far, the prince straightened himself up, deciding to rub salt on the wound for good measure and of course, for his own pleasure.

“It breaks my heart to say it but it’s the truth and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Lotor kept monologuing, finally removing his feet from the paladin’s chest and starting to walk around, not even batting an eyelash at the lungful of air that shook his entire body. “Except joining me.” He looked over his shoulder at Keith, who was already looking back at him with teary eyes and mouth opened ajar, hand placed over where he supposed the boy’s heart was beating wildly under his armor.

Walking to the red paladin once again, grinning proudly when he didn’t register the smallest sign of hesitation or resistance, the prince kneeled next to him. “You and I both know you’re stronger than all of them together.”

There was no hidden lie in that sentence alone. Based on that security footage alone, Lotor has been able to see how much of raw potential was yet to explode on the young paladin, his capacity surpassing the others’ in many aspects such as speed or strength. His distinctive untamed burning rage and ultimate survivor instinct turning him into a weapon he couldn’t wait to use in his favor.

“Accept who you really are, _Keith_.” Keith tilted his head to the side at how foreign his name sounded rolling off the prince’s tongue for the very first time that encounter, not quite deciding how he felt about it yet, his brain having more important thing to process at the moment.

Taking advantage of his apparent lack of consciousness, Lotor put a gentle hand on the red paladin’s shoulder and extended his other one for him to take, offering him a welcoming, yet somehow sinister, smile.

“Join the Galra Empire, where no one would judge you for what you look like, but for whom you fight against.”

After doubting for a few solid seconds, Keith opened his mouth but no audible sound came out of it, looked from Lotor’s hand to his own shaky one, as if analyzing them and comparing their differences and similarities, and finally looked up to him, nodding his head numbly as he slowly gave in.

It was the right thing to do, right?

Just when their fingers were inches and a deal away, a loud explosion followed by laser guns noises snapped Lotor back to reality, sadly not quick enough to evade the shooter’s aim, the impact throwing him to the other side of the room.

“ _Keith!_ ”

When the white noise ringing in his ears died down and the heavy smoke disseminated, Lotor looked up to see he wasn’t the only royalty in the room anymore, the blue paladin’s death glare on every single move he made, just like the bayard in his hands.

“Stay away from him.” Lance growled through gritted teeth, taking steps in his direction.

“Ah, if it isn’t other than your knight in shining armor.” Lotor laughed out loud at the sudden banality of the situation alone, dusting off his armor and fixing his never ending long hair before slowly getting up on his feet, not even in an attacking position anymore, trying his hardest to keep a straight face when confusion suddenly washed over the face of the paladin before him.

“Let’s get out of here!” Hunk yelled from behind Lance before he had the chance to ask what he meant, anxiously peeking over the door they just blew up to see there were troops coming their way.

When looking in between Lotor and the approaching soldiers, Lance found Keith in the middle, still sprawled out on the floor, the altean prince not doubting twice before dropping his bayard and kneel down to help him, fearing the worse.

“Keith,“ Lance carefully proceeded to rest the other boy’s head over his lap, afraid of aggravating any possible severe injury he might had, stroking gently his tear stained cheek with one hand and combing his damp hair back with his other, his voice a choked out whisper. “can you hear me?”

The altean prince’s heart stopped at the lack of response.

He was still breathing, why didn’t he say something?

“Lance, what’s wrong?” Pidge’s high pitched voice brought him back to reality, making him wince at how loud she sounded in comparison to the boy in his arms.

“He’s not responding.” Lance started to panic, blue eyes desperately scanning him from head to toe, making sure he didn’t missed any nonverbal answer. Immediately forgetting the situation they were in and risking not only their entire operation but his own life, the altean prince took his helmet off and removed the upper part of the red paladin’s armor as fast as his shaking hands allowed him, ignoring the yellow paladin’s complains as he leaned down to press his ear against the other boy’s chest so he could listen to his heartbeat.

“Keith?” He tried again, softer this time.

“We don’t have time.” Shiro’s voice came from both of their equipment now lying on the floor, loud and clear enough for them to listen. “Take him and the red lion and let’s get out of here!” Their leader commanded between huffed breaths, probably fighting against a fleet that was surely has been waiting for them. “Princess, we are on our way!”

Making sure Keith’s eyes were still open as he picked him up along with everything else and nodding in Hunk’s direction, Lance grabbed his bayard and fired right into the wall next to them without any hesitation, his fogged brain trying his hardest to go over every step of their plan to remember the red lion’s location, jumping out of the ship and into space.

With relief filling his lungs when he saw the majestic beast pass by, obviously sensing its pilot was in danger, the altean prince held onto the other boy for dear life, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, wishing in the back of his mind he was able to hear at least half of them.

“Think about my offer.” Lotor’s obnoxious voice echoed loudly from inside the ship and into Lance's head. “Till we meet again, red paladin.”

“Voltron escaped once again, my Lord.” Haggar sighed heavily from behind him once they were back at the control room after Voltron’s attack, disappointed yet not surprised. “I’m afraid your plan didn’t work out as expected.”

“Oh, mother.” The prince turned to her with a devious smile. “I think it did.”

**Author's Note:**

> omfg i'm literally so mad at how unfinished this looks  
> my personal goal was to finish this before season 3 came out but the last part of this wasn't working with me so i decided to divide it into two chapters  
> p.s.: your feedback to "open letter to the red paladin" is what keeps me alive thank you so much ily


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